Discrimination, harassment and pay equity laws by state

HB 14: An Act relating to health care insurance; relating to insurance reimbursement for health care services provided through telehealth; relating to telehealth; relating to workers' compensation coverage for disability from diseases for certain firefighters; repealing programs for catastrophic illness assistance and medical assistance for chronic and acute medical conditions; relating to occupational disability benefits and medical benefits available under the public employees' retirement system; providing for an effective date by amending the effective date of secs. 9 and 10, ch. 38, SLA 2022; and providing for an effective date.

Health care insurers must reimburse health care providers for health care services, including behavioral health services, provided through telehealth on the same basis and at least at the same rate as comparable in-person services, though geographic pay differentials may apply to out-of-state providers. Municipalities offering group health care insurance plans must comply with these telehealth reimbursement requirements.

SB 1551: workers' compensation; disability; definitions

Every employer affected by this chapter and every physician attending an injured employee must file with the commission and the employer's insurance carrier a full and complete report of every known injury arising out of or in the course of employment resulting in loss of life or injury requiring medical treatment. The employer must inform the insurance carrier and commission within ten days after receiving notice of an accident and must provide the employee with the insurance carrier's name, address, policy number and expiration date immediately upon notice of an accident.

SB 1159: employment practices; wage claims

An employee may file a written wage claim with the department against an employer for unpaid wages not exceeding twelve thousand dollars if filed within one year of accrual. The department may obtain judgment, execution, garnishment, attachment, or other available remedies for collection of unpaid wages established by final department determination.

HB 1974: To prohibit state entities from employing unauthorized aliens; to establish the e-verify requirement act; and to require state entities to use e-verify to confirm employment eligibility.

State government departments, boards, bureaus, political subdivisions, and agencies must use E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility. State entities are prohibited from employing unauthorized aliens.

HB 1643: To allow a current or former employer to disclose substantiated allegations of sexual abuse or harassment by the current for former employee to a prospective employer upon written consent.

A current or former employer may disclose to a prospective employer substantiated allegations of sexual abuse or sexual harassment by a current or former employee, or a former employee's resignation during a pending investigation of such allegations, upon receipt of written consent from the employee.

AB 2563: Sex discrimination: scope.

Any provision in California state law prohibiting sex or gender discrimination must be interpreted to prohibit sex discrimination, defined to include discrimination based on assigned sex or gender category, conformity to sex or gender stereotypes, gender identity and expression, pregnancy and related medical conditions, sexual orientation, and variations in sex characteristics. These provisions shall be liberally construed.

Takes effect 1 January 2027

AB 2292: Disability benefits: certificates.

Physicians and practitioners shall not charge an administrative fee to complete a certificate form for disability benefits or to complete a recertification examination or form required to maintain continued eligibility. They may bill for medical services provided in connection with an examination and collect applicable copayments, coinsurance, or deductibles.

Takes effect 1 January 2027

AB 1803: Employment: sexual harassment training and education: anti-hate speech training.

An employer with five or more employees must include anti-hate speech training as a component of sexual harassment training beginning January 1, 2028. Anti-hate speech training must provide supervisors and employees practical guidance on recognizing, reporting, and confronting workplace speech that vilifies, humiliates, or incites hatred based on protected characteristics.

Takes effect 1 January 2027

AB 1683: Workers' compensation: prepaid cards.

An employer may deposit disability indemnity payments in a prepaid card account if the employee provides written consent. The prepaid card must allow full balance withdrawal without fees, provide reasonable ATM access, permit fee-free point-of-sale purchases, and prohibit credit links. Only specified fees are permissible.

Takes effect 1 January 2027

SB 464: Employer pay data.

Private employers with 100 or more employees must submit annual pay data reports to the Civil Rights Department by the second Wednesday of May, covering the prior calendar year. Reports must include employee counts by race, ethnicity, and sex across 23 job categories, earnings data by pay bands, median and mean hourly rates, and total hours worked. Employers must collect and store demographic information separately from personnel records.

SB 590: Paid family leave: eligibility: care for designated persons.

Commencing July 1, 2028, workers become eligible for up to eight weeks of paid family leave benefits to care for a seriously ill designated person, defined as any care recipient related by blood or whose association is equivalent to a family relationship. Individuals requesting benefits for a designated person must identify that person and attest under penalty of perjury to their blood relation or equivalent family relationship.

SB 294: The Workplace Know Your Rights Act.

Employers must provide stand-alone written notice to each current employee by February 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, describing workers' rights including workers' compensation, immigration agency inspections, union organizing, and constitutional rights when interacting with law enforcement. Employers must provide notice to new employees upon hire and to authorized representatives annually. Employers must not discharge, threaten, demote, suspend, or retaliate against employees for exercising rights under this part.

SB 477: California Fair Employment and Housing Act: enforcement procedures.

The Civil Rights Department must toll deadlines for complainants to file civil actions and for the department to issue right-to-sue notices when complainants timely appeal complaint closures, when parties execute written agreements, during petitions to compel, and during appeals of complaint closures. The department must issue right-to-sue notices after director's or group complaints are fully disposed of and all proceedings terminate.

AB 406: Employment: unlawful discrimination: victims of violence.

Employers must not discharge, discriminate against, or retaliate against employees who are victims of violence or whose family members are victims for taking time off work for specified purposes including obtaining relief, medical care, counseling, safety planning, and attending judicial proceedings. Employers with 25 or more employees must provide reasonable accommodations for employee safety.

SB 303: Employment: bias mitigation training: unlawful discrimination.

Provides that an employee's good faith assessment, testing, admission, or acknowledgment of their own personal bias made as part of employer-provided bias mitigation training does not constitute unlawful discrimination.

Took effect 1 January 2026

HB 1207: Disclosure of Demographic Workforce Data

Beginning July 1, 2027, employers that are private sector entities conducting business in Colorado employing one hundred or more workers and required to submit EEO-1 data to the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as of March 1, 2026, must provide that EEO-1 demographic workforce data in their periodic reports to the Colorado Secretary of State.

HB 7107: An act concerning a task force to study expanding governmental employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, updates to able account statutes and oversight of driving programs for persons with disabilities.

The Commissioner of Administrative Services shall establish a program creating janitorial and contractual service jobs for persons with disabilities and persons with disadvantage at standard wage rates. Awarding authorities shall award such contracts to qualified partnerships meeting specified criteria, including employing at least one-third persons with disabilities and one-third persons with disadvantage.

HB 84: An act to amend title 19 of the delaware code relating to employer-sponsored meetings or communications.

This amendment to Title 19 of the Delaware Code expands employer-sponsored communication protections by removing the restriction that only 501(c)(3) organizations can communicate with employees about policy issues, and removes the requirement that such communications be non-partisan.

HB 105: An act to amend title 19 of the delaware code relating to employment practices.

Employers with 26 or more employees must include hourly or salary compensation range and general description of benefits in all job postings for Delaware jobs and non-international remote positions. Employers must provide this information to applicants before any compensation offer or discussion. Employers must maintain job descriptions and wage rate records for 3 years.

HB 128: An act to amend title 19 of the delaware code relating to the family and medical leave insurance program.

Individuals filing new claims for family and medical leave benefits must disclose child support obligations. The Department must notify child support enforcement agencies of eligible individuals and deduct and withhold child support obligations from benefits. Employers with private plans need not provide claim documentation to the Department unless there is an appeal, complaint, audit, or specific inquiry.

SB 55: "Dignity and Pay Act"; enact

No employer shall use a U.S. Department of Labor certificate under 29 U.S.C. Section 214(c) to pay individuals with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage, except employers holding such certificates on or before July 1, 2025, may do so until July 1, 2027, with a phase-in requiring at least half the federal minimum wage from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.

Took effect 1 July 2025

HB 1888: Relating to the safety of educational workers.

The department of education and state public charter schools must conduct formal internal investigations of harassment incidents against educational workers, report incidents involving potential threats of physical harm to law enforcement within forty-eight hours, implement harassment procedures, develop emergency safety plans, assist with temporary restraining orders, and provide annual de-escalation training. Educational workers are entitled to paid leave for court proceedings.

SB 3144: Relating to the hawaii occupational safety and health law.

No person shall discharge, suspend, or discriminate against any employee for refusing to operate unsafe equipment or engage in unsafe practices, or for filing complaints or participating in proceedings under this chapter. Employers must provide appropriate relief including rehiring, reinstatement, back pay, and restoration of seniority if discrimination occurs.

HB 4491: Public employee disability

Employing public entities must continue paying eligible employees their same gross pay basis inclusive of all pensionable salary when they suffer any injury or illness in the line of duty causing inability to perform duties, with no deduction from and continued accrual of sick leave credits, compensatory time, vacation, or service credits for up to one year, or up to 60 additional days if COVID-19 circumstances hinder recovery.

SB 76: Immigration matters.

Employers must not knowingly or intentionally recruit, hire, or employ unauthorized aliens in Indiana after July 1, 2026, unless they engaged in reasonable diligence to confirm work eligibility. Governmental bodies with custody of individuals subject to immigration detainer requests must provide notice to judges, record the detainer in case files, comply with detainer requests, and inform individuals they are being held pursuant to the detainer.

Took effect 1 July 2026

SB 289: Unlawful discrimination.

Public educational institutions must not take education actions based on personal characteristics. Public employers must not take employment actions based on personal characteristics. Persons applying for licenses must not be required to affirm that persons with certain characteristics are inherently superior or inferior, should be blamed for past actions, or have moral character determined by personal characteristics.

Took effect 1 July 2025

HB 1137: EMPLOYMENT/DISCRIMINATN: Prohibits intentional discrimination based on compelled speech with respect to using certain pronouns, names, or honorifics

Deletes a Senate committee amendment and adds a definition of 'employer' to include the state of Louisiana, its offices and agencies, political subdivisions, and their instrumentalities.

LD 2093: An Act To Codify And Update A Provision Of Private And Special Law Governing Temporary Disability For State Employees

Appointing authorities must provide temporary disability benefits to confidential employees who have worked more than 6 months and become totally disabled, equal to 2/3 of weekly salary. Benefits commence after sick leave exhaustion or 30 days of continuous disability, whichever is later, and continue until the employee returns to work, exhausts 365 lifetime days, or becomes eligible for disability retirement.

LD 2169: An Act To Improve The Public Employees Disability Retirement Program By Modifying Provisions Controlling The Reduction Of Benefits And Clarifying Terminology

The chief executive officer of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System must reduce disability retirement benefits when beneficiaries earn compensation exceeding $35,500 in calendar year 2026 or that amount adjusted annually by Consumer Price Index increases, prorated monthly over one year. The chief executive officer may waive reductions if excess compensation ceases and continuing reduction would cause hardship.

LD 1554: An Act To Require Sexual Harassment Prevention Training For Restaurant Employees

Every employee of a restaurant must receive training approved by the department regarding sexual harassment prevention. The restaurant must complete a compliance checklist under Title 26, section 807, subsection 4.

LD 1638: An Act Regarding Disability Retirement Benefits Under The Maine Public Employees Retirement System

The Maine Public Employees Retirement System must not reduce disability retirement benefits of persons receiving such benefits as of December 31, 2024 based on their receipt of United States Social Security Act disability benefits. The system must pay affected persons the difference between benefits they should have received and benefits actually received, with interest calculated under Maine Revised Statutes Title 36 section 186.

LD 898: An Act To Support Rural Workforce Recruitment By Allowing Pay Differentials Based On Work Site Location And Employee Experience And Credentials Under The Maine Equal Pay Law

Directs the Department of Labor to amend its equal pay rules by October 1, 2025 to clarify that different physical locations operated by hospitals or health care entities are separate establishments and that seniority systems may base preference on years of service or pertinent experience or credentials.

HB 878: Workers' Compensation - Heart Disease and Hypertension Presumption and Permanent Partial Disability - Carroll County Correctional Deputies

Carroll County correctional deputies who suffer from heart disease or hypertension resulting in partial or total disability or death are presumed to have an occupational disease compensable under workers' compensation law, provided the condition is more severe than any pre-existing condition. Deputies employed on or before September 30, 2026 must provide medical documentation of existing heart disease or hypertension to the Carroll County Sheriff's Office by December 31, 2026.

Took effect 1 October 2026

SB 439: Employment Discrimination - Fire and Rescue Public Safety Employees - Use of Medical Cannabis

An employer may not discipline, discharge, or discriminate against a fire and rescue public safety employee based on possession of a valid written certification for medical cannabis or testing positive for cannabis components while holding such certification. Employers may prohibit employees from performing duties while impaired by cannabis or using cannabis while on duty.

Took effect 1 October 2026

HB 502: Office of Disability Employment Advancement and Policy and Maryland as a Model Employer Initiative - Established

The Office of Disability Employment Advancement and Policy within the Department of Disabilities shall implement and oversee the Maryland as a Model Employer Initiative beginning July 1, 2026. The Office must collect performance goals and data from each unit of state government relating to hiring and retention of employees with disabilities and report outcomes to the Governor and General Assembly by December 1, 2026, and annually thereafter.

Took effect 1 July 2025

A 4841: Concerns housing discrimination based on source of lawful income.*

Employers, labor organizations, employment agencies, and housing providers must not discriminate based on source of lawful income used for rental or mortgage payments. Housing providers must not refuse, withhold, or deny accommodations based on this protected characteristic. The act defines source of lawful income to include public assistance, housing vouchers, disability benefits, court-ordered payments, and any lawful currency.

HB 43: Disability & survivor pensions changes

Affiliated public employers must pay injured employees' member and employer contributions while they are on approved workers' compensation leave if the employee is a peace officer, state police member, state fire member, adult correctional officer, municipal fire member, municipal police member, or municipal detention officer member. The disability review committee must determine disability retirement eligibility and reevaluate continued eligibility annually.

HB 171: Equality in State Agencies/Prohibition on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

State agencies and units of local government must not promote, support, fund, implement, or maintain diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, including in hiring, employment, training, or dedicated DEI staff positions. State officers and employees must not use merit-based hiring processes that consider protected characteristics beyond antidiscrimination compliance.

HB 246: Require certain construction industry employers to use E-verify

Nonresidential construction contractors, subcontractors, and labor brokers must verify employment eligibility of each employee through E-verify before hiring them to perform work on nonresidential construction projects. They must retain verification records for three years after hire or one year after termination, whichever is later. They must not continue employing individuals after receiving final nonconfirmation from E-verify.

HB 3127: Medical marijuana; policy for applicants and employees; exceptions; effective date.

Employers may not refuse to hire, discipline, discharge or penalize applicants or employees solely based on medical marijuana licensee status or positive marijuana tests, unless the applicant lacks a valid license, possesses or uses marijuana at work, or the position involves safety-sensitive duties as defined.

Took effect 1 November 2026

SB 1519: Relating to total disability.

Insurers and self-insured employers must reexamine permanent total disability claims every two years to determine if workers have materially improved medically or vocationally. Workers receiving permanent total disability benefits must prove they are willing to seek regular gainful employment and have made reasonable efforts to obtain such employment.

Takes effect 1 January 2027

HB 3187: Relating to age-based employment discrimination; and prescribing an effective date.

Employers, employment agencies, and labor organizations must not discriminate in hiring, compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because of an individual's age if 18 years or older. Age discrimination includes using salary, length of employment service, or retirement eligibility as proxies for age. Employers must not request age or date of birth before initial interview or conditional offer unless required by bona fide occupational qualification or law.

SB 588: Relating to disability benefits under the Public Employees Retirement System; and declaring an emergency.

The Public Employees Retirement Board must refer contested case hearings for police officers and firefighters disputing disability benefit denials within 180 days of request, or 360 days if extended. If not referred timely, the member prevails. The board must process all pending cases within 360 days of the act's effective date.

SB 69: Relating to laws concerning job-protected leave from work; and prescribing an effective date.

Employers must restore eligible employees to their original position or an equivalent position after family leave, medical leave, or safe leave ends. Employers must maintain health care benefits during leave and cannot retaliate against employees for invoking leave rights. The Bureau of Labor and Industries oversees administrative and regulatory requirements.

HB 8504: An act relating to labor and labor relations -- fair employment practices

Amends the Fair Employment Practices Act definitions to include individuals employed in domestic service as employees covered by the law, and clarifies definitions related to sex discrimination, disability, gender identity, protective hairstyles, and race.

HB 6065: An act relating to labor and labor relations -- temporary disability insurance--benefits

Employers must maintain health benefits during caregiver leave and restore employees to their original position upon return. Employees may take temporary caregiver benefits for bonding with newborns, caring for seriously ill family members, or participating as bone marrow or living organ donors, with maximum benefits of eight weeks annually beginning January 1, 2026.

Took effect 1 January 2026

HB 6066: An act relating to labor and labor relations -- temporary disability insurance -- general provisions

Employees must contribute to temporary disability insurance at a rate equal to the fund cost rate times wages up to the taxable wage base, which increases to one hundred thousand dollars or the annual earnings needed to qualify for maximum benefits. Employers must maintain health benefits during caregiver leave and restore employees to equivalent positions upon leave expiration.

Took effect 1 January 2026

HB 6161: An act relating to labor and labor relations -- fair employment practices

Employers must reasonably accommodate employees' and prospective employees' conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, or related medical conditions unless doing so would pose undue hardship. Employers must not refuse accommodation, require leave when other accommodation is available, deny employment based on refusal to accommodate, or fail to provide written notice of these rights to new employees, existing employees within 120 days, and employees who notify the employer of pregnancy or menopause within 10 days.

HB 1096: Economic and Community Development - As enacted, prohibits an employer seeking to receive an economic development incentive from the state from entering into a community benefits agreement or similar legal contract if the agreement or contract imposes obligations or conditions on the employer regarding employment practices, benefits, or operations that are not directly related to the performance of the employer’s duties under the economic development incentive. - Amends TCA Title 4.

An employer seeking to receive an economic development incentive from the state must not enter into a community benefits agreement or similar legal contract if the agreement imposes obligations or conditions on the employer regarding employment practices, benefits, or operations that are not directly related to the performance of the employer's duties under the economic development incentive.

HB 2187: Relating to hospital staffing report and complaint processes and to retaliation and mandatory overtime protections for nurses.

Hospitals may not retaliate against nurses who provide information to nurse staffing committees or report violations to hospital management or the commission. Hospitals may not suspend, terminate, discipline, or discriminate against nurses who refuse mandatory overtime or report violations. The chief nursing officer must attest to accuracy of staffing information reported.

Took effect 1 September 2025

HB 73: Public Employee Retaliatory Action Amendments

Amends the definition of retaliatory action by an employer to include making a complaint against an employee to a person that licenses the employee to practice a profession or perform other types of work, in violation of the whistle-blowing statute under Section 67-21-3.

Took effect 6 May 2026

SB 637: Virginia Human Rights Act; nondiscrimination, procedures for charge of unlawful discrimination.

Employers with 15 or more employees (or one or more domestic workers) must not discriminate in hiring, discharge, compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions including lactation, age, military status, disability, or ethnic or national origin. Employment agencies and labor organizations face parallel prohibitions.

Took effect 1 July 2026

SB 100: Volunteer emergency responders; protection of employees, civil action.

Employers must not discharge, discipline, threaten, discriminate against, or penalize employees for absences due to serving as volunteer emergency responders during emergency alarms or states of emergency, provided the employee gives at least one hour notice and submits an incident report and certification upon return. Employers need not pay for time missed during such service.

Took effect 1 July 2026

HB 2105: Concerning immigrant worker protections.

Employers must notify workers within 72 hours of receiving notice of a federal I-9 inspection, providing copies of inspection notices and specified information in English and five most commonly used non-English languages. Employers must also notify affected workers within 72 hours of receiving inspection results. Employers cannot retaliate against workers for exercising rights under this chapter.

SB 5101: Expanding access to leave and safety accommodations to include workers who are victims of hate crimes or bias incidents.

Employers must allow employees who are victims of hate crimes to take reasonable leave for legal proceedings, medical treatment, safety planning, and related services. Employers must not discriminate against or refuse reasonable safety accommodations for employees who are actual or perceived victims of hate crimes, unless accommodation would impose undue hardship.

Took effect 1 January 2026

SB 5104: Protecting employees from coercion in the workplace based on immigration status.

Employers must not coerce employees based on immigration status to deter them from exercising rights under wage, labor condition, or safety chapters. Coercion means threatening an employee or their family member regarding immigration status to prevent protected activities.

HB 1875: Allowing the use of paid sick leave to prepare for or participate in certain immigration proceedings.

Employers must allow employees to use accrued paid sick leave to prepare for or participate in judicial or administrative immigration proceedings involving the employee or employee's family member. Employers may require reasonable verification through documentation from an advocate, attorney, clergy member, or professional, or through the employee's written statement, provided such documentation does not disclose immigration status.

HB 1524: Concerning workplace standards and requirements applicable to employers of isolated employees.

Hotels, motels, retail entities, security guard entities, and property services contractors employing isolated employees must adopt sexual harassment policies, provide mandatory training on sexual assault, harassment, and discrimination prevention, provide panic buttons to isolated employees, maintain training documentation, and submit annual reports to the department.

Took effect 1 January 2026